Ciaron Maher upbeat Azkadellia can make amends in last Group 1 of the season

CIARON Maher left Eagle Farm racecourse yesterday morning confident Azkadellia is on track to make amends in the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara.

Azkadellia, seen here winning the Queen Of The Turf in April, is the $2.50 favourite for the Tattersall’s Tiara on Saturday. Photo: Simon Bullard

CIARON Maher left Eagle Farm racecourse yesterday morning confident Azkadellia was on track to make amends in the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara on Saturday.

Opinion is divided on how Maher’s star mare is travelling after she finished a disappointing 10th in the Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 11.

Maher blamed track bias for the performance but others pointed to the 10.5 length beaten margin to suggest she was still disappointing. But the Victorian trainer sees no reason to doubt Azkadellia after watching her gallop alongside stablemate Emphatically on the Eagle Farm course proper ­yesterday.

“I didn’t really need to see it and I was fairly happy with her but I just wanted to see the manner in how she did it more than anything and she was quite enthusiastic and her action was good,” Maher said.

“You want to see that before any big race and we’ve kept her nice and fresh.

“They run up in a tick under 24 seconds for the last two (furlongs) and it was strong work. She is going really well and I wouldn’t run her if I didn’t think she was pretty right to go.”

Azkadellia is the $2.50 favourite with UBET for the Tattersall’s Tiara ahead of the barrier draw today.

Azkadellia was caught in inferior ground near the fence after jumping from barrier five in the Stradbroke but Maher is not fazed about where she draws today.

“I don’t think the barrier had much to do with where she went in the Stradbroke and you can steer her wherever you want,” Maher said.

“Wherever the track is favouring she will be, so the barrier is not a big deal.”

Azkadellia, who will be ridden by Nick Hall this weekend, and Precious Gem are the only two Group 1 winners among 23 nominations for the Tattersall’s Tiara this year and Maher admits it’s not the strongest Group 1.

“This is probably a little drop in class from the Stradbroke back to mares grade and it looks a nice race for her ­providing she bounces back,” he said.

The Eagle Farm track was rated a Soft 7 yesterday after it received 106mm of rain on Sunday night.

Track manager Sean Bridges expects Eagle Farm to be in the Soft range on ­Saturday.

“I expect the first few meetings to race on the softer side until it beds down,” he said.

“I’m expecting between a Soft 5-6 on Saturday and I’m very happy with how the track has bounced back from Stradbroke day.

“We’ve put the rail out 6m and with another 10 races this Saturday I expect it to race similar to Stradbroke day where later in the day they get off the fence.”

■ Maher confirmed Jameka would target the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup this spring, while Petits Filous will miss the entire spring due to minor knee surgery.